‘Oh, Goddess!’ Ceri tries to shake it off, but Bridget hugs her fiercely.
Bert storms for the door. ‘I’m out of here. Are you coming?’ He pleads to his children. They look frightened but don’t move. Ceri’s hand grabs his arm.
Bridget senses the air in the room weave around Bert, with a last attempt to stop Ceri, she only manages to say. ‘No, don’t—’
Before Ceri goes fairy on Bert, ‘You can’t leave.’ The power of the words resonates in the air and binds him. Just like that, she had put a spell on her husband. Without thinking, just reacting. When she looks into Bert’s frightened eyes, it hits her. She has done something that can’t be undone, with those few words she had probably ended their marriage. When this devastating knowledge hits her, she crumbles and bursts out in tears. Bridget pulls her and the children into a hug, while the dogs rub against them. Bert might be unable to leave the house, but he needs to get away from Ceri; his world is falling apart. Madness is creeping into his eyes. Over Bridget’s shoulder, Ceri sees him slipping. It’s all her fault. For a short moment, she feels so much guilt it’s about to crush her. Inside her, the human and fairy emotions collide, guilt is not an emotion in the Fairy realm. To protect herself, she envelops herself in her newfound life. So much for going back!
SOMEWHERE ON THE I-10
Luna feels happier than she’d been in a long time. After they left yesterday, they made it to Houston and decided to stop for the night in a nice hotel. Even with all the drama going on at home, they enjoyed some time together away from everybody. Luna feels like a teenager in love again. Sneaking of with her lover.
Back on the road, her mind wanders toward the unavoidable. Who could ever imagine that Tara had such a secret past? For years she had known her mother played things close to her chest. Since Luna’s magic had awoken in her teens, she’d been a keen judge of character and was always able to read people. Thrilled with her abilities, she absorbed as much knowledge as possible, which put her somewhat at odds with her mother, who always chose the path of least confrontation. That has changed though; more and more, their views seem to align. Maybe it’s age. The past ten years sure had changed her. Fondly, she studies Tom. What a gift, to have found love in such an unexpected place. Happy, she snuggles up in her seat and feigns to be snoozing, while she enjoys the comfortable silence and the whirring sound of the tires on the road. She immerses herself in Tom’s presence, and, as he feels her eyes on him, he turns to her and smiles.
‘What are you thinking?’
‘That I’m lucky.’ Her hand caresses his face while he turns his attention back to the road.
‘So why don’t you tell me a bit more about our mission.’
This makes her laugh. ‘The mission, if you choose to accept it.’ She says playfully in her best imitation of Mission Impossible. ‘The first major crossing is close to Austin, Texas. That’s still several hours to go, so relax, we have plenty of time. I highly doubt that it will be the place. That would make us extremely lucky.’
‘I feel fortunate.’ replies, Tom, and gives her a quick kiss.
‘Hey, watch the road.’ Luna pushes him back to his side. ‘Why don’t you tell me a bit about your family? You know all about mine now.’
‘Nothing to tell, really. We’re kinda boring compared to yours.’
‘Oh, come on. Do you have brothers, sisters?’
‘I have a brother, but we’re not close.’ Tom’s looking straight ahead.
Luna cocks her head. There’s a story there, which he’s not eager to share. She wills him to share more and Tom adds, ‘My parents both passed away a couple of years ago. I’ve been married three times. All ended in divorce. I wish I could say it was the women’s fault, but my obsession with the job…The divorce rate is high for police officers.’
‘Is this the long version?’ teases Luna.
‘Yes,’ says the man of few words.
‘No kids?’
‘I have two sons, both in their thirties from my first marriage. But work—I don’t see them very often.’
‘I’m sorry. And from your other marriages?’
Quiet for several seconds, he replies, ‘No kids.’
Luna’s witch radar is going off. She puts her hand on his leg in support. Sadness emanates from him. He glances sideways at her and realizes she knows there is more. Quietly, she waits him out. Finally, he says, ‘My second marriage. We had a girl. Chloe. Her heart…She lived for three days.’
‘I’m so sorry.’ Luna gently kisses him and lays her head on his shoulder.
‘Our marriage didn’t survive that.’
‘That must have been so hard. I can’t imagine losing a child.’
Silence follows and Luna moves closer to Tom, trying to comfort him.
NEW ORLEANS
Gwen, who has been rushing around trying to keep up behind the bar is very happy when Brian, Freya’s eldest, shows up to help her. Today has been a crash course in mixology. When Lisa disappeared, Ron and Selma had both fallen apart. Diana was holding down the fort in the back, but she never handled the bar, so she was no help there. It felt good to be busy and out of that house, mused Gwen. It’s been hard to be away from her family. Especially after Alana’s death, when you need each other the most. She’d never realized how little time she spent away from her family. Staying with strangers is so far out of her comfort zone. Even though some of the Madigans have been very kind to her, it’s been no substitute for her brother. They have such a different way of communicating and living with each other—funny how you never think about these things until you’re confronted with them. Also, their magic flows differently. Everything seems to be fueled by passion and action, while her family thinks everything through and make more calculated decisions. Maybe the elemental objects have more effect on their guardians than everybody believes. For days, her mind had been going in circles, as she tried to decide what to do and how to outsmart the Madigans in getting the Dagger back. She has no illusions; they will not give it up freely. Today, her mind has been occupied differently, and it feels good. In the morning, she brewed some fun teas, and now the cocktails are flowing from her hands.
‘Hi, Gwen, welcome to the madness.’ says Brian.
That makes her smile. Brian is easy going and friendly, very unlike his sour mother Freya or his brooding brother Dylan. ‘Glad you could make it. All of a sudden, it’s getting busy and I’m still learning here.’
‘You’re doing fantastic!’ His practiced hands immediately get to work.
‘I hope you can stay for a while longer. Fin just returned, and I’m not sure he will make his shift.’
‘I’m happy to fill in, feels good to do something.’ With a twirl of her finger, the cocktail stirs itself. The people at the bar give a delighted cheer.
Brian winks at her. ‘You’ve got this. You’re a natural.’
Bert has disappeared, and Ceri, her kids, Bridget, and Maeve are in the kitchen. After their initial shock, the kids are now full of questions. It’s strangely thrilling to be part fairy. For them, it’s still something theoretical. However, Ceri sure hopes they don’t have to go through anything as traumatic as she did. Hopefully, she can figure out how to ease them into their fairy powers. They might not be as pronounced as hers, who knows? They’re only a quarter fairy.
‘I don’t know. I don’t have many answers. I just found out myself. It’s all very new.’ The most important thing is not to scare them, but she doesn’t want it to be a surprise either. She can’t make the same mistake her mother had made.
‘Will my eyes change?’ Emily wants to know.
‘What kind of powers do fairies have?’ wonders Liam.
Ceri grabs their hands. ‘We’re going to find out, together.’ She promises. Instantly the house groans, another promise made.
Bridget and Maeve share a concerned glance. Their aunt has changed—a lot. Her powers have grown exponentially, and feel more wild, untamed, and erratic. Still good-natured as always, but they can sen
se the undercurrent of something not human. To forbid Bert to leave was impulsive and not like her. Their relationship had always been based on respect and mutual trust. Bridget unconsciously rubs her finger along the vine around her finger. It definitely connects them; she was able to reach her aunt. A bit scary actually as it doesn’t look like they can turn this off. Feeling ticklish along her vined finger, Ceri looks at Bridget and, zeroing in on her spell, ‘Oh, Oh. You didn’t…’ Sparkle’s voice can’t hide his concern and excitement when he recognizes Ceri’s handiwork on Bridget’s finger. ‘I bet you didn’t think that one through either.’
‘It was an accident.’ says Ceri out loud.
That doesn’t comfort Bridget one bit, ‘What does it do? Can you take it off?’ Now the others in the room register the vine around her finger. Maeve walks over and gently touches it, while Emily reaches for the one on Ceri’s finger. They both start to bloom with fragrant flowers. For the first time, Bridget notices that they even produce some kind of scent.
‘This is for life.’ whispers Sparkle in Ceri’s ear. ‘Like your ring, it’s not something you can take back.’
‘I’m so sorry. My powers…They were so new, and it happened unconsciously.’
Bridget’s hopes sink about ever getting free of this.
‘It’s for life.’
You can hear a pin drop. They all stare at the vines, which twist and turn around their fingers, in reaction to the uncomfortable feelings.
‘I think it’s so cool.’ Emily’s eyes shine with wonder.
‘What exactly can it do?’ Bridget wants to know.
‘You’ve created a psychic short cut. Not something to be taken lightly. This will be interesting. You sure know how to make life more complicated. I don’t remember anyone doing this since the old days.’ Sparkle can’t wait to try the limits of this.
Ceri shrugs. ‘I don’t know. We’ll have to find out.’
‘Great,’ replies Bridget, not at all happy with the situation. Too many unpredictable things are happening.
To change the subject, Ceri says, ‘What happened while I was gone? Did you manage to get the Dagger? What is this Magical Tarot Deck Bert was talking about?’
Again, Bridget and Maeve glance at each other. So much had happened, it’s hard to believe she doesn’t even know about the fight with Lucy in Boston or Seamus’ Deck. How much should they tell their transformed aunt?
UTAH
Mara finds her grandmother in the stark modern kitchen. It feels cold, with white and gray tones like the rest of the house, the stainless-steel stove looks unused. No frills or anything remotely homey. It’s the total opposite of the Madigans’ kitchen, which is the heart of the house. Lucy is enjoying a soothing cup of chamomile tea.
‘Everything is cleaned up. Cal is heading into town for some groceries, and I wanted to talk to you.’ She slides in at the kitchen table opposite Lucy.
‘I’ve been thinking…’ Lucy just gives her the tiniest of nods to go on. ‘With the cards coming to life, I don’t know. It makes me think of Voodoo dolls. You know, my Mom taught me a lot about that. What if…we can somehow activate the card without them coming out of it and put some pins in it. Do you think that might work?’
Lucy perks up. ‘I love the way you’re thinking. I’m positive that Bridget knows where the Dagger is.’
‘Right. Do you want to try?’
Lucy’s eyes sparkle at the wicked thought. ‘Oh, Mara, you have so much potential.’
NEW ORLEANS
Bridget, Wes, and Maeve sit on the screened-in back porch. The sun has set, but it’s still hot, the crickets are chirping, and you can hear a possum scurrying around in the garden. The humidity is like a warm blanket, and the overwhelming scent of flowers surrounds them. The almond verbena is especially strong. Wes hands Bridget and Maeve a beautiful pink cocktail, he has outdone himself. Somehow, he had managed to avoid all the drama of the day. Just like Seamus used to do, locked away upstairs, painting.
It is the first time the three of them have been together after they had managed to move the Dagger, in the nick of time, as it turns out. So much has happened, and it’s nice to be able to relax together. Bridget is so happy that she has reconnected with Maeve. They’re still not remotely close to how things were, but it’s a start. With Ceri changing so drastically, Bridget wonders who she can depend on. Tom left with Luna, and ever since they hooked up, she doubts his sanity—her mother?! What is he thinking?
Ah well…Who is she to judge? Kiki, the chihuahua, jumps in her lap and snuggles up, while Bouncer, her lab, plops down at her feet. It would be perfect, if it weren’t for all the freaky magical problems they have. Slowly she savors a sip from her cocktail; a hint of tartness quickly follows the sweet taste of raspberry. Is that lemon? And the warm glow of vodka.
‘Ahhhhh, thanks, Wes, just what I need.’
‘No kidding, what a crazy day.’ Maeve also happily sips her cocktail.
‘Every day has been crazy lately.’
‘Do you want to talk about it?’ asks Wes, taking a seat in a rocking chair.
Maeve looks around. It seems like no one else is about, but these days you can’t be too careful. Quickly, she whispers a spell for privacy. Better safe than sorry.
‘Thanks.’ smiles Bridget, glad her sister is losing some of her trusting attitudes. She understands that Freya told Lucy she knew where the Dagger was. Poor Lisa, no child should have to go through that, but still. She can’t help but feel betrayed. The less the others know about it, the better.
‘I can’t believe how much Ceri has changed,’ blurts Maeve. ‘Her eyes. And the waves of wild magic coming from her are unbelievable.’
‘That will definitely take some time to absorb, that Tara has kept it a secret all these years is pretty crazy.’
‘You should have seen Aunt Freya when she told her about the Ferrymaster.’ Maeve shakes her head. ‘The poor woman, imagine your parents doing that to you.’
‘Somehow, I do get it that Tara has kept this all to herself all these years. Not in her wildest dreams could she have imagined this happening. To live all those years and life moves on. It must lull you to sleep.’ mulls Bridget.
‘Are you defending her?’ Maeve can’t hide her disbelief.
‘No. But it probably wouldn’t have helped if we had all known about it. There was already enough rivalry going on between Mom and Aunt Freya before this came up.’
‘Really, I’m so disappointed in her. All those years of telling everyone Fairy is dangerous and the code of witchcraft.’ Maeve shakes her head. ‘How is she ever going to repair this?’
‘I wouldn’t worry about that. We need to get through this. Somehow, I have the unsettling feeling this is only the beginning. There’s so much to unravel.’
‘Maybe this is all our faults. We have too many secrets in this family. And we can’t deny, not even you,’ Maeve points to Bridget. ‘that we felt something was changing. Something unnerving was about to happen.’
UTAH
In the meantime, Mara and Lucy are back in the immaculate workroom. Some of the shelves are empty, and Lucy feels a twinge of anger flaring through her. That horrible child…
‘Do you have the Deck?’ asks Mara opening her Voodoo bag. It’s full of potions, pins, and other fun stuff. Lucy can’t wait to try it. They will get this girl talking.
Mara snaps her fingers, and the candles around the room flare to life. Lucy leafs through the Deck and pulls out Bridget’s card. For now, she puts it upside down on the altar. She doesn’t want it activated until Mara is ready. Her granddaughter takes a minute to center herself and focus on the task at hand. In her mind, Mara pictures Bridget and thinks about the Dagger. Very slowly, she pulls some pins from her bag, dips them in her concoction, and turns the card around. Gradually very slowly, she caresses the card. It seems to bulge slightly under her hand. With expert precision, she holds one of the pins above Bridget’s abdomen, a glance at Lucy confirms she agrees.
NE
W ORLEANS
Bridget takes a sip from her cocktail when she starts to feel queasy as if she’s being pulled through the card again. Quickly she puts down her drink.
‘I think they’re calling me again.’
Maeve and Wes stare at Bridget as she becomes transparent, it’s unnerving and fascinating at the same time.
Bridget doubles over and screams! Maeve jumps up and is by her side in a second, but Bridget’s form, however visible, is also transparent. She can’t touch her.
‘Bridget. Bridget!’
Again, Bridget screams.
UTAH
A scream echoes through the room while the second pin sticks in the card. It looks three dimensional but doesn’t seem to be fully formed. Wow, this is working even better than she had imagined. Like a live Voodoo doll.
‘Tell me where the Dagger is, and we will set you free.’ says Lucy, who is bent over the three-dimensional card.
‘Never!’ sounds Bridget’s strangled voice.
‘Have it your way.’ Lucy steps back and only nods at Mara, who has her third pin ready.
Again, she strikes, this time in Bridget’s leg.
‘We’re here if you’re ready to talk.’
The only sound coming from Bridget is a mangled groan.
Satisfied, Mara and Lucy leave the card on the altar and head out of the room. Leaving Bridget in pain, they figured she would take some time to break.
NEW ORLEANS
Bridget’s screams have scared the dogs, who bark like crazy, and that in turn alerts the others in the house. Tara, Ceri, Emily, Liam, and Gwen come rushing out. Horrified, they stop when they see a transparent Bridget lying there in obvious pain. Curled up in a ball, the only sounds coming from her are moans.
‘What is going on?’ Tara tries to touch Bridget, but her hand passes through her.
‘I don’t know. They must have found a way to hurt her without letting her fully come through.’
Maeve sounds desperate; this is horrible.
The Magical Tarot Deck Page 18